The Snowdrop Day held by Zilpha Reed and her family in Belvedere Road on 16 February was a great success. The garden looked wonderful in beautiful sunshine and over 100 people visited. With admission fees and sale of plants, preserves and cake a total of £492.40 was raised for Coventry Myton Hospice.
Local group the Urban Fruit Collective (UFC) has provided us with a report about last autumn’s harvesting activities. The group picks fruit for local people who are unable to do so themselves, and shares the harvest with them and local groups.
The harvesting season kicked off again in September, and saw Urban Fruit Collective volunteers kitted out with new picking poles and extra ladders to tackle their busiest season yet. The number of picking requests doubled this year, and the trees we picked from were dripping in fruit; there is a good selection of apple varieties growing in the Earlsdon area, ranging from James Grieve to Bramley and some unique varieties, apparently planted many years ago by children burying apple cores!
The group grade the apples; eating apples and pears are destined for the Coventry foodbank’s various outlets in the city, while cookers are made available for local residents to collect. Bruised fruit goes under Miss Ellie’s kitchen knife, and is transformed into the most delicious chutneys. If you were lucky enough to buy a jar of Earlsdon Apple Chutney recently, this was made from our windfalls. It not only made lovely Christmas dinner pickles (with no carbon footprint); a donation for each jar sold also benefited breast cancer research.
This coming year, the UFC is hoping to find spaces for micro-orchards. The spaces need to be accessible, and large enough for 3 or 4 trees to be planted together. The group is also looking for its very own apple cart to deploy on Earlsdon Street outside shops willing to host it. It will be filled up with apples after each harvest, to which local residents can help themselves for free. The group is really hoping that, lurking in the back of a garage somewhere in the ECHO area, is an unwanted wheelbarrow that can be converted into our portable distribution point. Can you help with a space, a wheelbarrow or the time to convert it?
To get involved with the group, contact us by emailing Rachel, on the Urban Fruit Collective website or on Facebook.
In anticipation of better weather this spring, Coventry Leofric Lions Club would like you to direct your thoughts to raising funds for your chosen charity or good cause. Looking for ideas? Why not join like minded fundraisers on their annual ramble around the War Memorial Park on Sunday 11 May.
As always, the funds that you raise will go to your nominated charity and the Lions only ask for a small entry fee to cover the running of the event. You will be provided with sponsor forms, numbers, first aid, marshals and a very safe route. Why not take up the challenge and see how much you can raise?
If you want to take part and need a charity to support, Coventry Leofric Lions support the work of the Resource Centre for the Blind in Earlsdon Avenue South.
Full details can be found on the websites Leofric Lions and Coventry Walkathon , or by contacting Reg Brown, Walkathon organiser on 07766 667349 or by email.
PLEASE NOTE: THE COVENTRY FUN RUN WILL NOT BE HAPPENING THIS YEAR. WHY NOT DIRECT YOUR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS TOWARDS THE WALKATHON?
On Friday morning, 21 February a service celebrating the life of Judith Keene (pictured, right) was held at Earlsdon Methodist Church by Rev. Pauline Warner, a former minister of the church. With a congregation of well over three hundred the church was overflowing. Judith died peacefully on Saturday 8 February at 9pm at Abbey Park Nursing Home.
Over the past two years she had a difficult time following several major operations. There were hopes that the surgery would be successful but after a rollercoaster ride of hope and disappointment she reached this final closure. Throughout the journey she remained brave and bright while fully realising what the final outcome might be.
Judy was born on 20 March 1937 to Willis Ferris Watson (Bill) and Lois Evadne Lytle Watson in Glens Falls, New York. She attended Glens Falls High School, where she was a cheerleader, and graduated in 1954. She obtained a BSc Degree in Textile Chemistry and Design at the University of Vermont in 1958. After six months travelling in Europe she became an Associate Editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute in New York City and then moved to Bloomingdales department store in New York City as a trainee buyer. It was at Bloomingdales she met her husband, Victor. They were married at Christ Church Methodist, Park Avenue, NYC, on 20 May 1961 and enjoyed 52 years of married life.
With Victor she came to England and for eight years they lived in Nuneaton where their children, William and Mary were born. Judith joined the Nuneaton Operatic Society and Ladies’ Circle which she served as Chairman. She became a Sunday School teacher and Youth Club leader at St. John’s Methodist Church.
On moving to Coventry in 1969 she transferred to the Coventry Operatic Society and was an active member for over forty years. She became a member of Coventry Inner Wheel Club (wives of Rotarians) and was President of the club three times and was elected District Chairman of the West Midlands Inner Wheel District No.6 having served as District Overseas Service Chairman. Judy enjoyed her golf and played regularly, at one time playing off 18. She became Ladies’ Captain of Coventry Golf Club and was House Committee Chairman for three years.
Judith and Victor transferred their church membership to Earlsdon Methodist Church where she became a Sunday School teacher for many years. Judith was engaged in voluntary work all her life. She became a Trustee of Crossroads Care (a charity providing relief for family carers) and served for over 30 years. At the church she was a Beaver leader (Cub Scouts for the under 7s) for 8 years and served as a Marriage Guidance Counsellor for 14 years. She certainly pulled her weight in the community.
Judith was a well known figure in Earlsdon, always with a happy smile and encouraging word and she will be greatly missed not only by her family but by all who knew her and by the community she served.
Our next gardening session is on Saturday 5 March from 10.00am to 12.30pm, if you have time please come and help us tidy up the park. If you are able to come please bring gloves and tools if you have them. We have some spares so don’t let it stop you coming to help us.
Our half term activity took place on Friday 21 February, where we made a bug motel for the park. We would like to collect materials for the building of our bug wall so if you have any broken or whole terracotta pots/drainpipes, plastic pots or tubing (could be pots with cracks in), newspaper, old bricks, air bricks etc, please let us know or bring them along with you on the day.
For more information please email or visit our website.
Karen Berry, Secretary of Friends of Spencer Park
The following new plans have been submitted in recent weeks:
4 Norfolk Street, Spon End – Conservation Area Consent for change of use of building to form additional living accommodation (ref. CON/2014/0173). The application has been withdrawn by planning officers as they required much more information about the plans to be able to proceed. In the meantime eleven neighbours objected on various grounds including overdevelopment, overcrowding and existing problems with tenants.
Meadow House, Upper Spon Street – application by Whitefriars Housing for change of use from A1 (Shop) to community room for residents of the block and storage for 8 mobility scooters (ref: FUL/2014/0043). The plans are due to be considered by the planning committee on 6 March.
Albany Court, Brunswick Road – works to Tree Preservation Order trees: re-pollard 2 lime trees (ref. TP/2014/0149)
The following plans have been approved in recent weeks:
Former Texaco Petrol Filling Station, Allesley Old Road – amendment (remodelling of internal staircore and apartments) to planning application reference 39201/H, granted on 16 May 2005 for demolition of petrol station and erection of three storey apartment blocks and associated works (ref. AD/2014/0050).
11-12 Westminster Road – change of use of both properties and single storey extension to the rear to create 1 single house in multiple occupation with 20 bedrooms (ref. FUL/2013/2641). A similar previous application last year was rejected on the grounds of over intensification of the use of the site.
The following plan is still being considered:
37 Warwick Street – demolition of existing buildings, and development of 19 x 2 bed apartments with associated parking (ref. FUL/2014/0012). A growing number of nearby residents, supported by Councillor Allan Andrews who arranged a very useful meeting on 10 February between residents and planning officers, have objected strongly to this plan. It was agreed that the plans as submitted were not acceptable to residents or the council and Councillor Andrews has now arranged for residents to speak directly to the developer, to see if a compromise can be reached. See also February issue for more details of the plans.
All these plans (and others) can be inspected at the planning offices on the ground floor of the Tower Block, Much Park Street from 8.30am to 5.00pm Monday to Thursday and from 8.30am to 4.30pm Friday. Full details of all the applications and local residents’ responses can also be viewed via the City Council’s website.
ECHO’s policy is to include in this section plans which are likely to have broader impact than on immediate neighbours. We do not therefore normally include house extensions, loft conversions etc. which should be notified to adjacent properties by the City Council.
Farewell to Tinderbox Toys & Trinkets…
After just over five years trading in Earlsdon Street, Sam Harrison and Tilly Tromans have announced that they will be closing the lid on Tinderbox Toys & Trinkets at the end of March. Sam and Tilly have really enjoyed running the shop, and have appreciated the custom and support of local people. They have done what they can to raise people’s consciousness about their shopping habits and stressed the importance of local shopping, but fear that with increased internet shopping the time for independent toy shops may be over. “We have seen several toy shops open and close throughout Warwickshire. We are proud of the success we achieved with our shop, but we also know it’s time to call it a day on Tinderbox too“ said Sam.
Their closing down sale will begin on 1 March at 12 noon. The sale will take place throughout March when they will leave to make way for local businesswoman Hannah Johnson, from Lean Body Vision, who will be launching The Juice House.
Anybody who knows Sam and Tilly will know that they have taken part and organised many community events and activities in Earlsdon Street over the past five years, with Sam currently busy with booking of stalls for the Earlsdon Festival 2014. On Friday 21 and Saturday 22 March, Tinderbox and The Juice House will join forces to raise money for Sport Relief by organising a `stationary’ cycle ride from the shop. They will be manning a static bike and riding all the way to London and back! “We thought this would be another great way to mark the occasion of our departure and help Hannah celebrate her arrival at Number 62. We hope the sun shines and support from locals raises lots of money again for a good cause” explained Tilly. Please pop by and support them.
…and hello to The Juice House
The Juice House will take over the Tinderbox premises on 1 April and owner Hannah Johnson hopes to be open within two weeks selling fresh juices and smoothies, salads, healthy snacks, health foods and supplements. For more information see next month’s issue and visit the website.
Meanwhile, Lean Body Vision were expecting to move to new premises in Providence Street at the end of February. However, having obtained planning permission and building regulations approval and just a few days away from signing the lease, the landlord instead accepted an offer from someone else to purchase the building. Owner Hannah Johnson is very disappointed but says that life will go on for Lean Body Vision at number 1 Earlsdon Avenue South and for Earlsdon bootcamp. For more information visit the website.
Clive Mark Schoolwear closed their shop in Earlsdon Street at the end of January, but school uniforms can still be purchased via their website.
John Taylor & Son Butchers will be closing on Saturdays at 3pm (previously 5pm) from 1 March. They will continue to be open Monday to Saturday from 7am each day.
From Litigation to Meditation
A former local Criminal Solicitor has hung up her wig and gown and embarked on a dramatic career change. Nuala Grocott, who lives in Earlsdon and has worked as a solicitor for 25 years has given up her day job to teach t’ai chi. After training with the Association of Traditional Martial Arts for 13 years she has decided to turn her enthusiasm for t’ai chi into a permanent lifestyle change. She is a 2nd Dan in karate, (hoping to make 3rd Dan by the end of the year). There is no equivalent belt system for t’ai chi; the joy is in the journey not the destination. The two different but complementary disciplines go well together, the yin and yang of a hard and soft art each bringing something to the other.
Many people don’t think of t’ai chi as a martial art but it undoubtedly is. Dating back centuries, it is the stuff of legend and for many years a closely guarded secret practised by a single family in China. In those days it was very much a fighting art used in self-defence. However, it was also developed for its health giving properties and has always been intertwined with meditation and the development of internal discipline with an emphasis on the whole person, valuing not just physical prowess but also spiritual strength.
Nuala’s classes are informal and relaxed allowing the students to explore and find out how t’ai chi can benefit them. She says “We are all different and the beauty of t’ai chi is that it has something for everyone and can be adapted for all levels of ability”. She describes each class as an hour of time just for you where you can gently stretch yourself physically but also find peace and leave feeling better in both mind and body. Find out for yourself what t’ai chi has to offer you; the first class is free. See Diary for class details.
A new lettings agency, Ashmore and Co Lettings, is now operating from 2 Hearsall Lane. Its owner, Ryan Ashmore, was the youngest entrepreneur to receive an investment from Duncan Bannatyne on the BBC programme Dragons’ Den at the age of 18. Last year Ryan sold his music business and used the proceeds to launch his lettings business.
Ryan’s family has been involved in the local lettings market for over 20 years and his mother is the manager of a Coventry based housing association. ‘Having a family background in lettings has really benefited me when I was designing Ashmore and Co”, says Ryan. “I am confident that landlords will find what we have on offer to be very refreshing.
“Our slogan is ‘ALL IN HAND’. Our systems are set to find the right tenants, protect a landlord’s property and take care of all the time consuming stuff. Landlords will also be dealing directly with the business owners to ensure that the highest quality of service is always received.”
The company will be dealing with both the mainstream residential lettings market as well as the student market. Ryan adds ‘We have already had a very encouraging response after launching Ashmore and Co on 3 February. In the first week we let our first two properties and the landlords are delighted with the quality of tenants we have found for them. We need to build on this success by getting more landlords to take advantage of the great deals we are offering them.
Ryan can be contacted on 024 7671 6558 or visit the website. You can also see Ryan’s Dragon’s Den appearance online.
ECHO’s resident fitness freak has been back out in the area again looking for more people and places offering new health and fitness alternatives for you. This time, they’ve been learning about some changes to the Earlsdon Running Club.
I discovered the Earlsdon Running Club about three years ago when I was looking to add more structure to my running schedule. I love the freedom of running but I was finding it hard to motivate myself to get out there when I had no-one to run with. The Earlsdon Running Club was the perfect solution.
Run by Frances Ihenacho, local Personal Trainer, the Earlsdon Running Club is a very relaxed, informal group for runners of all abilities. When I joined, Frances asked me about my level of fitness, my personal goals and then she ran with me for the first run to measure my pace so that she could match me with other runners within the group. I found the group really helpful and soon started knocking huge chunks of times off my previous personal bests. Three years on and I’ve completed a few half marathons, one full marathon and I’m feeling stronger than ever. Running with a club was the best decision I made and, for me, the Earlsdon Running Club provided the perfect opportunity to run in a group without feeling the pressure that can sometimes be associated with official, affiliated running club.
From Tuesday 4 March the Earlsdon Running Club is taking on a new structure so, if you are interested in the idea of running with a club but you’ve not done it before and you’re not sure what to expect, why not try one of the next 6 week blocks to see if it’s for you.
New coach, David Conway, is keen to provide professional, varied and structured training sessions including interval training and longer runs. David will ensure that the sessions are also inclusive and fun, regardless of your ability. The 6-week blocks will cost £18 to be paid for before the 6 weeks commences. If you would like more information about the new timetable contact Frances on 07775 853 015.
Freya Kendall has written this account of her work placement in Tanzania working with Raleigh International.
What do you remember from your primary school years? Practising the shape of ‘a’s over and over in your exercise book? Being read exciting stories out of colourful books by the teacher? Maybe chanting your times tables over and over again until the point where you drive your parents mad? Perhaps taking home models and artwork you created from various yogurt pots and egg boxes? These are all happy memories that we take for granted in this country, but it wasn’t until I spent 10 weeks living and working out in rural Tanzania that I came to understand that many children in Tanzania, and Africa generally, do not obtain a decent primary school education due to such a huge lack of basic resources and materials.
During the summer of 2013, I was sent out to rural Tanzania for 10 weeks to work on behalf of Raleigh International and the International Citizen Service (ICS) to work on a number of different projects to ultimately cultivate development and progression of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set up by the UN in 2000. One such goal is to have implemented universal primary education across the world by 2015. Sadly, I don’t think this goal will be achieved in time, not only because there is still a great deal of work for the UN and various charities and NGOs to do, but because existing schools are struggling to properly educate their children because they have very few resources to do so.
I visited and taught at various primary schools within a 20 kilometre radius of where my team and I were living, and at each primary school we frequently came across the same problem: the teachers struggle to teach the children as there simply are not enough decent resources to go around. Classes of 40, 50 or even over 60 children with one teacher would sometimes have only four or five battered old textbooks to work from. Many of the children did not have proper exercise books, as these are not given out by the school, but rather have to be paid for by the family. As a result of this, high numbers of children did not have an exercise book because their family simply could not afford one. Many of the children did not have a pen or a pencil of their own, and virtually all the textbooks I came across (though it has to be said that there were not many) were extremely outdated and not appropriate for primary school curriculum.
How can children be expected to learn the most basic maths and literacy skills if such basic resources cannot be provided? How can we look to implement universal primary school education across the world if the existing schools are not able to educate their children properly? We all seem to agree that it is education which is the key to breaking the poverty cycle, so we must work to provide schools with the most basic of materials to allow the teachers there to give the children the best possible education.
What I am urging is for people to have a look in the loft, in the old bookshelf which houses all manner of books no one ever looks at, and give whatever books and resources they can to the wonderful charities that can take donations and distribute them to schools across Africa. It may not seem like much to send a few books across, but I know first-hand that any donations will be highly appreciated and could change the lives of children, families and generations to come.
Here are just a few charities which gratefully accept book and monetary donations:
If you’re interested in hearing more about what I, my team or other teams have got up to out in Tanzania, here is a link to the weekly blogs we wrote whilst we were out there.
To learn more about the life changing work that Raleigh International do or the International Citizen Service, please visit Raleigh International or International Citizen Service.
For more detailed information of the Millennium Development Goals, please visit the website.
The Earlsdon Neighbourhood Police Force would like to remind ECHO readers about the importance of protecting homes and vehicles from theft. PCSO Richard Brown explains why.
I can confirm that, in January this year there were nine reported home burglaries and 13 counts of vehicle damage or theft. For the majority of the burglaries, entry was gained by forcing/smashing a rear window or door and stealing small electrical devices (laptops, phones etc.) Three of the 13 reports regarding vehicles were thefts of number plates. The others were all regarding theft from cars with three having had windows or doors forced and seven having been broken into with no damage caused. The root cause of the break-ins appeared to be leaving sat navs, cash and handbags on display.
Please help us by reporting any suspicious behaviour or crimes as they happen. We have had reports from residents that there is someone trying to break into cars in the early hours so please remember not to leave items in your vehicles overnight. If you spot anything, please pass the information on.
You can also help to protect yourself and your property by following these simple guidelines:
As always, the Earlsdon Neighbourhood Police Force is available to carry out surveys of premises so we can assist in making your home or vehicle a harder target to burgle.
We also hold monthly police surgery meetings at the War Memorial Park, Earlsdon Methodist Church and Earlsdon Library. All dates and times are on local boards and the website (below). These are in place so that you can come and speak to us in person about any concerns you may have.
Contact the team:
For an emergency – 999
For non-emergency – 101
Earlsdon Police website
Earlsdon Police Twitter
West Midlands Police website
West Midlands Police Facebook page
Crimestoppers – 0800 555 111
